"After what you two did to Archer how dare you think I'll help you! So help me, God, Emiya, if I see you again I'm shooting a gander shot through your skull, you hear me?! Goodbye, Emiya."

The phone hits the receiver with a crash, banging loudly against Shirou's ear. He winces as he hears that crash and slowly puts the phone down with a click. Apparently the man in red had been unable to convey his worries to Tohsaka and had instead somehow managed to get them in trouble for his condition. A condition no doubt wrought by the samurai he'd fought that same night.

"I take it we will not be obtaining the assistance the other servant offered yesterday?" says Saber, arms crossed as she leans back against the wall, staring at him. Shirou lets his shoulders slump, letting out a long sigh.

"I guess not," he says, scratching his head. "Seems she's blaming us for "Archer's" injuries from last night."

"Archer?" says Saber, cocking an eye. "He's an archer class servant? Curious. I would have taken him for another saber class, what with his swordsmanship. I wonder how it is he falls under the classification of an archer?"

"Yeah..." says Shirou, thinking back to the night before. That was one of the remaining servant classes Saber had mentioned now properly accounted for. Something else is bugging him though, something that has nagged at him for the whole night. "Hey, Saber, I'd heard you calling that guy "Shirou," when you were speaking to him last night. Not Archer. Why is that?"

"You must have been mistaken, Emiya. I do not recall such matters."

"But..." says Shirou, suddenly confused. "I swear you..."

"We have other matters of which to attend," she says. "So shall we?"

Shirou looks towards the woman, dressed in his school uniform that hugs her form tightly, a sour expression on her face and he nods. She's trying to avoid talking about what happened last night, but he still can't get it out of his head that she was kissing that man. And the fact that she's trying to avoid the fact that she called him "Shirou" is bothering him too. Why doesn't she want to admit to that? He knows she called him Shirou, he's certain of it. So why deny it?

It's a matter he'll have to push aside for later as Saber is out the door before he's even put his thoughts together, he having to bounce around while putting his shoes on, trying to keep sight of her. If only things in life were easy. Too bad he's never had that kind of luck. Now he has to deal with something else. Namely the possibility that Shinji Matou might have organized the massacre of the school, but that's such a ridiculous notion, isn't it? No way he'd do something like that even if he were involved with the grail, right? He hopes to god this is all a wild goose chase and nothing comes of it, but there is still that niggling fear that maybe Saber is right and Shirou has just been ignoring what has been right in front of him all this time, and that worries him more.

Though he walks alongside her, Saber seems resistant to say anything more on the subject of Archer, and he does not push her on the matter, though he wishes to speak to her about it. Maybe it really is his imagination and he just thought she said "Shirou?" But then, there is still that kiss to think about, he thinks, his fist clenching in his pockets. He knows he shouldn't care, but for some reason it galls at him. He thinks, maybe... he's starting to like Saber.

He glances over to his right, looking over at the frightening woman who walks by his side, her body tensed, ready for action. He sighs, shaking his head. Does she really think Shinji is capable of pulling off something as serious as that Archer said? Nah, he thinks, shaking his head. No doubt they're just words to make her drop her guard around him. That has to be it, they're just lies. But then... he can't shake the fact the man came between them and the assassin to save Saber. Just what is his connection to her? It...

As he passes the university gate, a sudden pressure slams into his body seeming to stop his heart. He hadn't even focused on how far they'd come along in reaching the school grounds until this pressure hit him. He stares wide eyed, mouth suddenly feeling dry as he stares, sweat beginning to run down his brow. It's like a terrible weight trying to push him down and crush him.

"Damn it," he hears Saber whisper, already drawing her weapon, her armor materializing on her body as Shirou's uniform is torn away from her body as the armor appears. "It's started already!"

"Saber..." he says. "What is this? Why does it feel like something is clenching at my chest like this?"

She regards him momentarily, staring from behind her dark visor.

"You remember how servants need energy? One of the ways a master may power a servant is offering the life energies of civilians. This barrier that is surrounding your university is meant to suck the life of all those within not involved in the war. He's powering up his servant!"

"What?!" says Shirou, fist clenching. "How could he do that?! How can he throw other people's lives away so carelessly! It's like ... he doesn't care..."

An image of purple blossom hair and vibrant eyes with a soft smile enters his mind's eye and Shirou's heart sinks.

"Sakura..." he whispers.

"Sakura," says Saber. "Isn't she the one from yester..."

Shirou bolts foreward, his feet beating on the pavement as he races towards the school, heart pumping hard as his fist push against the air. He thinks on that sweet young girl who has always supported him and then on her brother with those wicked eyes and malicious grin and all of sudden it starts to clear in his mind's eye. But it can't be possible, he thinks. He'd never choose the university! Not the one his own sister is attending! What kind of madman would do such a thing? But if what Saber says is true and that pressure seems to confirm that notion then everyone in this school is going to die, including Sakura. Unless he finds her, Shinji is going to kill her!

"Sakura," he whispers, "just hold on!"

Rin dabs a wet cloth on the dark skinned man's forehead, moving back his hair from his forehead which sticks to his brow as he moans on the bed. She pats his head, looking him over. Archer is an annoying enigma, she thinks and when he'd first arrived and he'd stared at her, it had seemed he recognized her. How that would be possible is beyond her, but that idea was soon dismissed as he'd spoken and questioned her. It had probably just been a trick of her eyes, she thinks. He didn't recognize her at all. How could he? He's a servant of legend from some unknown time that...

She narrows her eyes, squinting at the man. That is odd, she thinks, looking on his resting form. With his hair matted down from sweat due to the condition that bastard and his servant left Archer in she'd swear he has an appearance similar to him. Similar to... Shirou! But that's impossible! There's no way this man can have any relation to Shirou. That would just be...

Archer's eyes snap open and he rises from the bed suddenly, sitting up. He looks around the room, regarding his surroundings as if confused. Staring out the window, he gasp and throws the covers off, intending to stand when he nearly topples over.

"Archer!" she yells, rushing over to him, gripping him under the arm as she lays him back down on bed. "Seriously, when I became a master I never thought I'd be a nanny to some grown ass fool that's twice my age! Like seriously!"

"Rin..." he says, his voice seeming weak even as close as he is to her. "You have to get to the university. You have to..."

She lays him back down on the bed, pushing him down.

"Archer, what are you talking about? The university is fine. You just need to rest and recover your strength so..."

"No!" says Archer, rising suddenly. "Everyone is in danger! Shinji... gehn..."

He hunches over as he lays back down, gripping his side which pains him. She'd seen it earlier as she was tending him, slashed by a long bladed weapon. No doubt Shirou's dark servant. She narrows her eyes and glares at her servant.

"You're in no condition to go anywhere," says Rin. "You just need to rest and..."

"No, Rin," he says, pushing her hands away. "Shinji Matou.. He's going to kill everyone!"

"What?!" she says, staring at the man disbelieving. This is sounding oddly like what Shirou was trying to convey to her earlier in the morning over the telephone. "What are you talking about? There's no way that..."

"He's placing a barrier field around the school to drain everyone's life force!" he says. "You have to... ghn..."

She holds the man as he tries to sit up once more. She can only try and help him recover with the mana she's passing to him, but she wonders if in his current condition that will be enough? He seems particularly weak. She narrows her eyes, teeth grit. She doesn't really want to consider the "other" alternative to restore his mana, but she may not have a choice. Still, if what Archer is saying is true... then there's no time for that.

"Fuck," she whispers as she lays him back down. He tries to rise once more and she pushes him back, placing her hands on his shoulders.

"You stay here," she says, "that's an order!"

The man's eyes widen, and Rin groans as she realizes one of her seals has just burned off from her skin. Archer stares at her, wide eyed and shaking.

"Rin... what have you done?"

"Just.. Just stay here until I come back! I'll see what's going on at the school and if I need you, I'll just call you with this," she says, holding up her wrist to show her command seals. "So... so you just rest here until I get back!"

She turns around and begins stomping down the stairs, beating down them as she rushes out to the university, Archer calling her name. She ignores his pleading voice, grabbing her jacket on the way out. She'd intended on taking the day off until Archer was well, but if what he says is true, then this situation will take priority. But at least that bastard, Shirou, will be watching her back if she can go by his phone call, or so she hopes! At least if what he said is true. God, she hopes it is, because otherwise she'll need to use her last command seal to summon Archer and that will be the end of her role as master.

Why, she thinks, why is everything turning out this way?! She grits her teeth, feet beating down the pavement. There is no longer time to think, only act. After all, it is her duty as a Tohsaka to win the holy grail, so she has no choice. It's her duty, for her father... and for her sister, the one abandoned so many years ago in the care of the Matou's. The one who should have been in this war. But if Shinji is a master instead of Sakura then god help them all.